Carmarthenshire joins UK wide Chewing Gum Litter Campaign

A MAJOR campaign has been launched in Carmarthenshire to tackle chewing gum litter on our streets and pavements.

The 2012 campaign sees selected local authorities taking part in a new advertising campaign calling on everyone to play their part in creating a cleaner, better Britain ahead of the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee by putting their gum in a bin. Carmarthenshire County Council is one of 15 local authorities nationwide to have pledged their support for the 2012 campaign to help make Britain’s streets free of littered gum.

The campaign is being funded by the Chewing Gum Action Group, a joint initiative between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the chewing gum industry and Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.

The aim of CGAG is to achieve a long-term solution to the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum. The group’s sixth national campaign will run in March and April and see local authorities working with communities to encourage people to take responsibility for their litter and put their used gum in a bin.

A survey by the Chewing Gum Action Group, published to coincide with the launch found that 35% of people in Wales admit to dropping litter.

John Griffiths the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development in Wales is supporting the campaign, he said: “We want people in Wales to enjoy cities, towns and villages that are clean and tidy. Unfortunately chewing gum litter has a negative effect on the quality of local environments. It contaminates our streets and can impact on perceptions that visitors have of our beautiful country.

“I wish the council the best of luck with this campaign to change people’s behaviour to ensure a long term solution to the chewing gum problem.”

Since 2005 the Chewing Gum Action Group has run annual campaigns which have led to reductions in chewing gum litter of up to 91%. In 2011, the campaign successfully reduced the amount of gum litter on our streets nationally by 56%, a 6% improvement on the previous year.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “This is the third year running the council is taking part in this campaign. Hopefully the message will persuade people to think twice about dropping their gum on the floor and encourage them to use the bins available. The council is determined to create a cleaner environment for both residents and visitors to Carmarthenshire to enjoy. This campaign ties in with our annual spring clean-up and with the Olympic Torch Relay travelling through the area on Sunday, May 27, we want a county we can be proud of.”

For further information on the campaign please contact Simon Qasim at DEFRA on 020 7238 6844.